Joyce Reynolds (classicist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joyce Reynolds FBA FSA
Reynolds in 2016
Born	Joyce Maire Reynolds (1918-12-18)18 December 1918 Highams Park, England
Died	11 September 2022(2022-09-11) (aged 103) Cambridge, England
Alma mater	Somerville College, University of Oxford
Notable work	Christian monuments of Cyrenaica, The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania, Aphrodisias and Rome.
Awards	Fellow of the British Academy, 1982
Scientific career
Institutions	Newnham College, University of Cambridge
Notable students	Charlotte Roueché, Mary Beard, Pat Easterling, M. M. McCabe, Brent Shaw, Dorothy J. Thompson

Joyce Maire Reynolds (born December 18, 1918 – died September 11, 2022) was a brilliant British scholar. She was a classicist, which means she studied the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Joyce was an expert in Roman history, especially epigraphy. Epigraphy is the study of ancient writings carved into stone or other hard materials.

She spent her life studying and teaching Classics. Joyce Reynolds was the first woman to receive the important Kenyon Medal from the British Academy. She was also an honorary fellow at Newnham College, Cambridge, a special title given to people who have made great contributions.

Early Life and Education

Joyce Reynolds was born in Highams Park, Greater London, on December 18, 1918. Her parents were from Walthamstow. Her father, William Howe Reynolds, worked for the government. Her mother, Nellie Farmer, was a school teacher who taught Joyce to read and write.

Joyce went to Walthamstow County Girls' School. Later, she won a scholarship to attend St Paul's Girls' School. Her parents were against war and did not let her read writers they thought supported war. Joyce also mentioned she did not enjoy sports at school.

She went on to study "Greats" (a course combining Classics, philosophy, and ancient history) at Somerville College, Oxford. She received a scholarship there from 1937 to 1941. In 1944, she graduated with top honors. During World War II, from 1941 to 1946, Joyce worked for the government.

A Career in Classics

From 1951 to 1979, Joyce Reynolds was the Director of Studies in Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge. This meant she guided students in their Classics studies. From 1957 to 1983, she was also a lecturer in Classics at the University of Cambridge.

Later, from 1983 to 1984, she became a Reader in Roman Historical Epigraphy at the University of Cambridge. Even after this, she remained an honorary fellow of Newnham College. In 1982, she was chosen to be a Fellow of the British Academy, a very high honor for scholars.

Joyce Reynolds taught many students who later became famous scholars themselves. Some of her notable students include Mary Beard, Pat Easterling, and Charlotte Roueché.

Even in her nineties, Joyce continued her important work. She helped publish ancient inscriptions online from places like Aphrodisias, Roman Tripolitania, and Cyrenaica. She passed away on September 11, 2022, at the age of 103. Her former students remembered her as a very careful and dedicated teacher. They said she loved to share the excitement of ancient inscriptions with everyone. She was also well-known in Libya, where she traveled often to help protect ancient sites.

Awards and Recognition

Joyce Reynolds received many honors throughout her long life. She was one of six British women born in 1918 or earlier featured in a book called The Century Girls. This book celebrated the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote in the UK.

In 2004, she was given the Gold Medal by the Society of Antiquaries of London. This award recognized her outstanding contributions to archaeology.

In 2017, the British Academy awarded her the Kenyon Medal. This medal honored her lifelong work in studying Roman epigraphy. She was the very first woman to receive this prestigious medal.

Joyce Reynolds became an honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1951. On June 20, 2018, she received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) from the University of Cambridge. At 99 years old, she was the oldest person ever to receive this honor from Cambridge. She was also an honorary Fellow of Somerville College.

A special scholarship, the Joyce Reynolds Award, was named after her. It provides money to help Classics students at Cambridge University from backgrounds that might not usually go to university. This award was set up by Mary Beard, who was one of Joyce Reynolds' students.